Atlanta Aquarium

From March 25th until March 30th I had to go to Atlanta. The reason fro my trip was not successful, but that is a story for another day and I am looking at other options. Mike went with me as my support person, and while we were there we visited several interesting spots. Atlanta is an amazing city. Some of the tallest buildings in the country, and the world, can be found in Atlanta. I hope you will enjoy reading about some of our adventures.

Our first stop was the Atlanta Aquarium. It is an absolutely beautiful place and one of the best aquariums I've seen. As you walk in the door, on either side are two huge tanks containing Florida Pompano. This is a fish found in the waters along the coast of the Southeastern United States. Its body is silver and has a distinctive shape, with its eyes located close to its mouth. It travels in small schools, moving with the seasons according to temperature, while in local areas it moves according to the tides. It primarily feeds on clams, shrimp and small fish. It is the highest price marine food fish in the United States and is a favorite of fishermen because of its fighting ability. It is thought this fish is currently being overfished.

Some facts about the Florida Pompano:

The juveniles are found along sandy beaches exposed to wave action and are absent from insular areas with coral line habitats.

This species can reach 25.1 inches in length. Its maximum published weight is 8.3 pounds.

This species generally occurs in variuous sized schools, often swimming rapidly.

In the touchtank they had stingrays and Bonnethead sharks. Bonnethead sharks are found in the western Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina to Southern Brazil, including Cuba, the Bahamas and the northern Gulf of Mexico. In the east Pacific they are found from Southern California south to Ecuador. The Bonnethead is one of the most abundant shark species along the northern Gulf of MExico Coast. It is usually found on sandy bottoms, seagrass beds, lagoons and in bays and estuaries. It is one of the smallest species of hammerhead sharks. Its head is more mallet shaped than other hammerheads and its snout is broadly rounded, resembling a shovel. The female is known to move to shallow water before giving birth, often in estuaries. Bonnetheads are "viviparous" meaning they give live birth, and birth approximately 8-16 peeps. The bonnethead is relatively harmless to humans and extremely shy and difficult to approach. Unlike most sharks, bonnetheads often form single-sex schools of similar sized individuals. An adult can measure up to five feet. At birth, a bonnethead shark can mesure 13-15 inches. Bonnetheads must swim continuously to receive oxygen from the water. They typically travel in groups of 5-15, but they can number in the thousands.

I think these stingrays are called Cownose Rays. They are found in the western Atlantic from New England south to the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and Brazil. It also is found in the eastern Atlantic along limited sections of the coast of Africa. The species is most often seen swimming near the surface in coastal waters in schools that can number in the thousands. These schools are largerst when this ray is undertaking its seasonal migrations. It can reach 4-5 feet across. It has a brown to olive color on its back and a white underside. Its tail is whiplike and has one or two barbs near the body. Of course, the barbs had been removed on the ones in the touchtank. It has a uniquely shaped forehead that resembles a cow's nose, hence its name. It uses its pectoral fins (wings) to stir up the bottom to find clams, shrimp, crabs and other small invertebrates prey. It uses its strong, plate-like teeth for crushing the shells of its prey. This ray has a horizontal groove along the front of its snout with a bi-lobed flap below that it uses to root around in the sand for food. It gives birth to live young. It is considered to be "oceanadromous" meaning it undertakes long migrations to different parts of the ocean.

This is a waterfall in the aquarium that uses reclaimed rainwater.

In this tank are Longnose Gar. Its long, slender beak is typically 18-20 times longer than its narrowest width and is filled with sharp teeth. These long, cylindrically shaped fish do their best to use camouflage and remain still to ambush the fish they prey upon. Longnose gar deposit their eggs in the nest of smallmouth bass, where the male bass guards the nest, protecting the gar eggs in addition to its own. Most North American rivers contain gar. The adult feeds almost exclusively on fishes, most heavily on shad, herring and bullheads, with minor preying on minnows and sunfish. The young feed voraciously on small crustaceans and insect larvae and grow very rapidly. It is reported to live up to 36 years.

In many places throughout the aquarium there where tanks all around you, even over your head. You could see the fish swimming from the underside. The overhead tanks had not only small fish, but some really huge fish also.

The American alligator is found in teh southeastern United States from North Carolina to Florida and westward to Texas and Oklahoma. It occurs in most freshwater habitats and occasionally will enter brackish water around mangrove swamps. Adult males can grow to 14 feet in length and females about 10 feet. Both sexes can live 30-40 years in the wild. The female American alligator builds a nest of mud, sticks and leaves above the high water level and lays 20-50 eggs in it. She guards the nest for about nine weeks until the young hatch and then she carries them down to the water in her mouth in small groups. She continues to guard her young for another 12 months. The American alligator can be distinguished form a crocodile by the arrangement of its teeth. The alligator's teeth in the lower jaw are usually hidden under the edge of its wide upper jaw. In the crocodile, some of the lower jaw teeth are visible on the outside of the upper jaw. The gender of the hatchlings is determined by the temperature in the nest during incubation. Males are produced in teh warmer parts and femaile sin the cooler areas. Juvenile alligators have black backs with bright yellow cross-bands. The stripes disappear in the adult. The tail of an adult American alligator makes up about one half of its body length. Alligators have between 74 and 80 teeth that are used for grasping and tearing prey.

The Electric Catfish is found in the Nile River basin and Lake Chad in western and central tropical Africa. It inhabits freshwater lakes and rivers, among rocks and roots in murky waters. This species can grow to four feet in length and weigh about 44 pounds. It gets its name from its ability to produce and electric discharge for protection and hunting. The discharge is proportional to the size of the fish. It is produced in specialized plates around the body that can release 300-400 volts. However, this electric discharge is not dangerous to people because it is of very low amperage. It is depicted in paintings in Egyptian tombs dating from more than 5,000 yeras ago. The catfish is a voracious predator and will consume fish up to half its length. It is very territorial and will defend against intruders with short electrical discharges. It uses stronger discharges when subduing prey. The male and female will build a nest in the river bank before spawning.

The Electric Eel resides in the murky freshwater pools and streams of South America, preferring to dwell near the muddy bottom of calm waters. The electric eel gets its name from its power of electrical shock, which it uses for defense and hunting. Adult eels usually feed on smaller fish and amphibians, but the size of its prey increases with the eel's size and electrical power. During the day, this nocturnal species spends most of its time hiding under shelter or in holes. The electric eel is also an obligate air-breathing fish and must absorb oxygen by breathing air into the mouth. The electrical receptors of the eel can be used to identify transmissions from other non-electrical fish and detect the heartbeat of nearby fish. It also may be possible for the eel to identify other electrical eels in surrounding waters. This eel has a large mouth with one row of cone-shaped teeth on each jaw. The eel is the largest of the knifefish and can grow up to eight feet long. The primary use of electric power is for defense against predators or to secure prey. The electric eel's shock can exceed 500 volts. As long as its skin is kept moist, it can survive for several hours in air.

Overhead tank with Longnose Gar

Overhead tank with Grouper

These are Red Piranha. At the aquarium in Atlanta the Piranha recently laid eggs and they are begining to hatch. The eggs were discovered by the aquarium's biologists after noticing changes in the piranha's behavior. The adult piranhas were swimming more exclusively at the bottom of the exhibit and tended to move about in circles, as if protecting something. After discovering the eggs, the biologists moved them to smaller exhibits so they could safely hatch. The young piranha, referred to as fry, will be raised in exhibits separate from the general population so they won;t be eaten by the larger fish. When they are big enough they will be introduced to the larger exhibit of more than 300 piranha or given an exhibit of their own. The Red Piranha is a freshwater fish found most often in the basins of the Amazon, Paraguay-Panama and Essequibo Rivers. This species prefers areas with dense vegetation such as creeks and interconnected ponds where they can easily hide and ambush their prey. Piranhas feed communally in groups of 20-30 individual fish that attack prey in a feeding frenzy that is further stimulated by the presence of blood in the water. In addition to these carnivorous attacks, the red piranha scavenges for food such as insects, snails, worms and plants. They rarely attack humans, unless blood is present in the water. Those species that prey upon the red piranha include crocodiles, some birds, large catfish and large mammals such as jaguars. Male and female piranhas are alike externally, and can grow up to 12 inches long. Their stocky bodies have reddish bellies, but overall coloration varies. Their powerful jaws house triangular, interlocking, sharp teeth. They can maintain a voracious bite by replacing teeth on alternate sides of the jaw. A hierarchical structure often exists in small schools.

The Asian Small-Clawed Otter dwells in the freshwater wetlands and mangrove swamps of Southeast Asia and is the smallest otter in the world. Known for its energetic nature, the Asian Small Clawed Otter spends more time on land than any other otter. In nature they have been observed sliding on mud banks and chasing one another through the water. The energetic nature is believed to be a result of the otter's rapid metabolism which allows it to digest food quickly. It is a carnivore and feeds on mollusks, fish, frogs, crabs and other crustaceans.

One of the biggest threats to the otter is the development of the wetlands to accomodate the growing population of Asia. The otter is close to being qualified as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and is listed as lower risk on its Red List.

The body of this otter is elongated so that it can easily move through water. It has partially webbed feet for swimming. Whiskers help it to detect changes in water current and pressure. Otters are members of the mustelid family, related to badgers, polecats, minks and weasels. After the female gives birth, both parents stay together to raise the young.

I thought the otters' exhibit was cool. At first you don't realize the decoration is an elephant. The entire aquarium decor was amazing.

This is a picture of the lobby of the aquarium. There are various entrances to the different exhibits, a food court, gift shops and smaller exhibits in the lobby.



The sea anemone is considered to be the flower of the sea. Sea anemones look like plants, but are really meat-eating animals. Sea anemones come in different sizes and many different colors. The sea anemone can attach itself to rocks or coral. In the center of the sea anemone is their mouth. In order for the sea anemone to eat, they must wait for their food to swim by. Then they sting it with their tentacles, and then push it into their mouth. Sea anemones spend most of their lives in one palce. They can attach themselves to rocks, and some can bury themselves in the mud.

This starfish was actually attached to the glass of the exhibit. There were many different kinds of starfish throughout the aquarium.

The Giant Japanese Spider Crab is found on the seafloor of the Pacific Ocean near Japan. It occurs ar depths of 150-1,000 feet where it is very dark and cold. Primarily a scavenger, consuming dead animals and plant material, it will also pry open shells of mollusks with its small pointed claws. It can measure up to 12 feet across its body and grow to be 15 feet wide. It can weigh as much as 40 pounds. It is believed tolive as much as 100 years, and is the largest living arthropod. The female crab carries fertilized eggs attached to her abdomen until they hatch into tiny larvae. It is not widely exploited commercially becasue of the difficulties capturing it at the depths where it is found. After molting, the crab will consume its former shell in order to recover important nutrients.

More sea anemones
Sea anemones

The Weedy Sea Dragon can be found in shallow waters among the kelp forests and reefs of teh southern tip of Tasmania. These slow, graceful swimmers use their olive green, yellow, purple and blue coloration, combined with their leaf-like appendages to camouflage themselves among seaweed and sea grass. They are related to sea horses and pipe fish. Male sea dragons also give birth to their young. The female will lay 250-300 eggs onto the soft bottom of the male's tail where he will hold them and protect them until they hatch. They swim horizontally with their abdomen facing the bottom. It uses its tube-like snout like a drinking straw to suck up its food. The color and style of leafy appendages depend on factors like food supply. When they hatch, the juvenile sea dragons are basically in the form of an adult. Weedy Sea Dragons from deep-water habitats tend to be less leafy and brighter in color.

The Giant Pacific Octopus is known to average 16 feet in length from the tip of one tentacle across to the opposite tentacle and weigh between 50 and 90 pounds when fully grown. This is impressive since they are only about the size of a grain of rice when born. An octopus can maneuver through small openings despite its large size. The animal is incredibly flexible becasue the only hard part on the octopus' body is the beak, or mouth, of the animal.

Each arm has two rows of suckers and may have as many as 1800 suckers. The octopus can rapidly draw water into the mouth and expel it forcefully out of its body propelling it backward. It can squirt ink at an attacker and escape while hidden by the ink cloud. When it becomes excited, it can quickly change the color and texture of its skin. The female Giant Pacific Octopus can lay between 18,000 and 100,000 eggs.

Starfish

Starfish

The Beluga Whale is found in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions of the world, including Russia, Alaska, Canada, Norway, Greenland and other northern European countries.

Typically found in shallow waters to depths of 3,000 feet, it feeds on a wide variety of fish, often suction feeding animals off the ocean bottom, such as crabs, clams and worms.

The Beluga Whale is an opportunistic feeder, known to prey on about 100 different kinds of primarily bottom-dwelling animals. They are warm blooded animals that breathe through the blowhole on the top of their head.

The blowhole is covered by a muscular flap which provides a water-tight seal. They cannot breathe through their mouth and can hold their breath for 20-25 minutes.

Beluga Whales are extremely social animals, living, hunting and migrating in groups called pods. They are the most vocal of the toothed whales.

Arctic fishermen say they can hear the Beluga Whales coming from miles away and they can feel the vibration of their sounds coming through the hulls of their fishing boats.

This behavior has earned them the nickname "Sea Canary".

Beluga Whales are the only whales with a flexible neck. It uses its pectoral flippers mainly to steer and stop. Theya re also called the White Whale. The word "Beluga" comes from the Russian word for white, "belukha".

Beluga Caviar comes from the Beluga Sturgeon, not the Beluga Whale. The Beluga Whale has the ability to swim backwards.

This is a Goliath Grouper in one of the over-head tanks. The Goliath Grouper is found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. It also occurs in the eastern Atlantic along parts of the coast of Africa and in the eastern Pacific from the Gulf of California to Peru. It is associated with rocky or coral reefs in shallow water marine and, sometimes, estuanine environments. This grouper can reach a length of eight feet and weigh 1,000 pounds. It is the largest grouper in the Atlantic Ocean. This species is an ambush predator that strikes in a quick lunge powered by its broad caudal fin and wide caudal peduncle. It expands its mouth during its attack to suck in its prey before it can escape. This species will produce a loud booming sound with its swim bladder when startled or cornered. The Goliath Grouper was formerly called the "Jewfish". This species, like other grouper, has been heavily overfished and is considered to be critically endangered. The Goliath Grouper feeds primarily on crustaceans, fish, rays and turtles. It uses the strong suction of its large mouth to vacuum lobsters from crevices in rocks.

The Whale Shark is the largest fish in the world. It was absolutely impressive to see these huge fish swimming over your head. As big as they are they are also extremely graceful, beautiful creatures. Despite their name, it is not a whale. Becasue of its size, it is impossible to weigh this fish accurately. Newborns have been found measuring 21-25 inches, and the largest accurately measured Whale Shark was 40 feet 7 inches, although there were reports of a 60 foot Whale Shark in 1925. It can be recognized by the two-toned pattern of light spots on its dark back and white underside. Unlike most shark species, the mouths of Whale Sharks are located at the front of their heads instead of the underside of their snouts. They ahve a huge mouth, which can reach up to four feet across. There are 300 rows of tiny teeth along the inner surface of the jaw, just inside the lips. They feed on planktonic and nektonic prey, such as fish, small crustaceans and squid that they strain from the water through their gills. The Georgia Aquarium is the only aquarium outside Asia to house Whale Sharks. The skin of a Whale Shark can be as thick as four inches. The Whale Shark is known to be highly migratory, covering almost 800 miles. It is often seen in a vertical position with the head at or near the surface when feeding. It is ovoviviparous, meaning the embryo is formed within eggs retained in the womb. There are only nine places in teh world known to provide predictable whale shark findings.

Whale Shark

A school of fish

Goliath Grouper

The Leopard Whipray primarily occurs in the Indo-West Pacific and lives on the inner continental shelf in tropical waters. Few rays report such a striking pattern as the Leopard Whipray. The entire upper surface, including half of the tail, is covered in a pattern of circular brown to black rings resembling a leopard's fur. Its tail tapers to a fine point, like a whip, giving an elegant bearing to this unique ray. This species can grow to at least 13 feet in length and 5 feet in width. The Leopard Whipray feeds on crabs, shrimp and shelled invertebrates. When resting, the Leopard Whipray will cover itself in sand for extra camouflage. This species is ovoviviparous, meaning that it develops within eggs that remain in the mother's body up until they hatch. This species appears as by-catch in trawl nets, deep gill nets and hook and line fisheries. It is of minor commercial importance in some locations. The adult Leopard Whipray is similar in appearance to the Hineycomb Stingray.

Overhead tank

Leopard Whipray

These last two pictures are of Goliath Grouper in one of the overhead tanks.